Bill Clark
Veteran
Haven’t watched any part of the series. Probably won’t.
When I came back from combat in Viet Nam, for a short time I rented an apartment in L.A. Before my Honorable Discharge, I received a letter from the State of Minnesota, my previous place of residence, with a little monetary incentive to return to live, as I recall at least 6 months. A few years later, I received a letter from the V.A. requesting me to sign a form if I recall being exposed to agent orange. Agent orange was made by companies, it’s a defoliant, with Dow chemical or Monsanto and others made the chemical and shipped it in 55 gallon drums with an orange stripe painted on the drum for idenfication, hence the name “agent orange.”
I did buy camera equipment, Nikkormat and Nikkor lenses, a 5 piece place setting for 12 people of Noritake China that I still have today and a 56 piece of hand cut Sasaki crystal glasses that I still use and other stuff. I spent a week in Hong Kong for R & R.
Received a bunch of medals, some I don’t know if I actually earned, while there but, at any rate, I got them. Made quite a few photographs, mostly slides, haven’t looked at them for almost 50 years.
When I came back, my family had a gathering, my uncle Wayne was there at our gathering. He had it much worse than me as he served in the Army in WWII. He was captured by the Nazis, put in a P.OW. camp, but, one of few, he escaped and made it back to the American side. He didn’t have any kind words about God or religion. He said he still could see the look on the eyes, after many decades, of the first German soldier he killed. And his family, my Mom’s family, his and my Moms grand parents emigrated from Germany.
Humans are animals with a few other ingredients in our brains that we can choose to use or not use sometimes, all the time or never.
I’ve wondered, if our universe began with a big bang, extreme violence, our atoms were made from that soup. Maybe it’s inherent, for various reasons, we sometimes resort to violence. However, we do have a brain that can choose other paths rather than resorting to violence. Some decide to go on one path while others take another. Maybe we sometimes cross from one path to another. Wolves story, depends which one you feed.
When I came back from combat in Viet Nam, for a short time I rented an apartment in L.A. Before my Honorable Discharge, I received a letter from the State of Minnesota, my previous place of residence, with a little monetary incentive to return to live, as I recall at least 6 months. A few years later, I received a letter from the V.A. requesting me to sign a form if I recall being exposed to agent orange. Agent orange was made by companies, it’s a defoliant, with Dow chemical or Monsanto and others made the chemical and shipped it in 55 gallon drums with an orange stripe painted on the drum for idenfication, hence the name “agent orange.”
I did buy camera equipment, Nikkormat and Nikkor lenses, a 5 piece place setting for 12 people of Noritake China that I still have today and a 56 piece of hand cut Sasaki crystal glasses that I still use and other stuff. I spent a week in Hong Kong for R & R.
Received a bunch of medals, some I don’t know if I actually earned, while there but, at any rate, I got them. Made quite a few photographs, mostly slides, haven’t looked at them for almost 50 years.
When I came back, my family had a gathering, my uncle Wayne was there at our gathering. He had it much worse than me as he served in the Army in WWII. He was captured by the Nazis, put in a P.OW. camp, but, one of few, he escaped and made it back to the American side. He didn’t have any kind words about God or religion. He said he still could see the look on the eyes, after many decades, of the first German soldier he killed. And his family, my Mom’s family, his and my Moms grand parents emigrated from Germany.
Humans are animals with a few other ingredients in our brains that we can choose to use or not use sometimes, all the time or never.
I’ve wondered, if our universe began with a big bang, extreme violence, our atoms were made from that soup. Maybe it’s inherent, for various reasons, we sometimes resort to violence. However, we do have a brain that can choose other paths rather than resorting to violence. Some decide to go on one path while others take another. Maybe we sometimes cross from one path to another. Wolves story, depends which one you feed.
oftheherd
Veteran
Hello Parachute, let me have Paregoric. Not up with them tonight?? Give me Pleiku. Pleiku, let me have Quin Nhon, Quin Nhon, give me paregoric. What? You only have outgoing with Eagle? Well give me Eagle. Hello Eagle, hello Eagle? Eagle ...?
:bang:Ah, the memories. Sometimes you could get straight through to who you wanted, sometimes ...
Joerg
Dilettant
For an awesome perspective from a Marine serving in Vietnam read
"The Cross of Gallantry" by Pat Blake, basically an autobiography.
https://www.amazon.com/Cross-Gallantry-Marines-sacrificed-operations-ebook/dp/B073YHCV9W
Ciao
"The Cross of Gallantry" by Pat Blake, basically an autobiography.
https://www.amazon.com/Cross-Gallantry-Marines-sacrificed-operations-ebook/dp/B073YHCV9W
Ciao
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Allen,
I met a truck driver in Long Island City wearing a baseball cap that suggested that he was a Marine. My new friend Ray revealed he was in Vietnam in 1964 and he served in a tank. I can't imagine something more hellish than fighting in a tank in the jungles of Vietnam.
I asked Ray if he was drafted, and he surprised me when he said that he volunteered. When I inquired why, he explained that he grew up in Greenpoint, a rather poor working class neighborhood in northern Brooklyn at that time that was very rough and tumble. Pretty much Ray explained there were not many opportunities for him, and the future did not seem so bright if he stayed in Greenpoint.
Anyways this POV though a bit different than mine indicates the culture of "oh-well" that evolved from the very real worry and fear that was part of growing up during those times. I never expected to live to be as old as I am now.
My friend's older brother and his best friend both enlisted in the Marines so they would be together, rather than be drafted. They both came back alive and all in one piece.
Cal
oftheherd
Veteran
Serving in a tank in 1964? Interesting. I wonder if he was an advisor, or in some clandestine unit? We didn't have any combat units there that I am aware of at that time, other than Special Forces.
I don't have any idea what it was like in a tank in the heat. At least they were protected from weather and small arms fire. In the places I was at, they didn't seem to be attacted much by anti-tank weapons. I always wondered why not.
It wasn't as unusual as one might think for people to enlist rather than wait for the draft. That let them have choices about job specialty, location, and some other things. It also let them get their service over with sooner.
No matter, good on your friend and his brother and friend for surviving.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
OTH,
I worked with another ex Marine at Grumman. Ray was from the south and was in Nam as one of those advisors you mentioned, and from what you say my coworker Ray was in Vietnam way before 64. In other words we were involved before the public knew about it.
I might be wrong when my other friend Ray from Greenpoint date of service. I listened intently. Ray said he actually fried eggs on the tank. Sounded very brutal tank warfare in a jungle. Ray described a tank to tank battle in which his tank ambushed another.
I took some shots of Ray. With a full beard you could tell he was a rough and tumble guy that had been through a lot.
Cal
airfrogusmc
Veteran
Cal we as a country were in Nam as adviser CIA etc in the early 50s when the French were still fighting there.
Glad to hear that they came back.
The Marines drafted in WWII 1942 IIRC and didn't draft again until 1968. I have read that the Marines will not draft again. It has historically been a volunteer branch of the service with a high wash out rate compared to other branches. For most bootcamp platoons it is at least 14%.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Allen,
Thanks for the added clarity. I think Ray my co-worker was there as an advisor in the late 50's. Ray also explained that being a black man in the Marines at that time he was a bit of a novelty. Also Ray explained that he was small for a Marine, and that prior to him serving they enforced a size restriction. I believe Ray said at one time you had to be 6 foot or bigger to be a Marine.
Cal
MrFujicaman
Well-known
I just remember the vet I knew who talked about someday writing a book about the Vietnam war...He planned to title it " A Stupid Little War".
He might of had the best title for a book on that war.
He might of had the best title for a book on that war.
kiemchacsu
Well-known
Has any one completed the whole series?
I am still on the 4th episode, though, a lot of unknown-to-me facts were explained in a very clear way.
BTW, I agree that people should have some basic backgrounds about Vietnam and the War to get what the film makers wanted to deliver.
I am still on the 4th episode, though, a lot of unknown-to-me facts were explained in a very clear way.
BTW, I agree that people should have some basic backgrounds about Vietnam and the War to get what the film makers wanted to deliver.
Bob Michaels
nobody special
I have watched all ten episodes as they showed them on PBS TV. Last episode was last night. The quality never declined and the last episode may have been the best of all of them.
airfrogusmc
Veteran
There is a good book by Phillip Caputo (he was in the Burns series) called A Rumor of War. It is about his experiences as a Marine officer with the 9th Marine Expeditionary Force 1965 & 66.
eric rose
ummmmm, filmmmm
I get it in Calgary on Shaw cable. PBS channels come through.
benlees
Well-known
I'm a cable cutter, but spent the last few couple weeks in Abbotsford, BC in a place with cable (Telus) and only watched this (when I had time). Great they interviewed people from the VC and the north. Adds a lot.
gdmcclintock
Well-known
I applied for conscientious objector status and was classified 1A. No COs were allowed by my draft board. My number in the Selective Service lottery was 221. The war was winding down and they didn't call from my state that year (1973). I received a letter from my sister's boyfriend in Vietnam who told me how he had been hooked on heroine which was everywhere, cheap and of exceptional quality. Somehow he managed to kick the habit before returning home.
kiemchacsu
Well-known
the same applied to me, but in the opposite side. watching video footage from american side and insiders' view. for instance, the 1968 offense event is now shown with many aspects that i've not known before. it's also good to have overall view of american society at the same time with the battle field in vietnam. a very good and completed film about vietnam war so far, i would say.
x-ray
Veteran
I was in college from 67 to 71 and worked my way through as a PJ. I was in the first drawing of the lottery and my number was 76. While on assignment in October 69 I had an accident and did perminate damage to my right ankle and leg. I wound up having to drop out of school in November due to the injury and received my draft notice the week before Christmas.
I reported for my induction physical and testing on January 8th and was told to have all affairs in order and a change of clothes and personal items upon reporting at the induction center. Kids that passed would be put on a bus that day and taken to where they would go through bootcamp.
I took a letter from my orthopedist and my X-rays. I went through the written tests that morning and after "lunch" went through the physical. At my very last station, after all the poking and probing, I stood in my underwear infront of a couple of Dr's. I just had the feeling I was headed to SE Asia until, without even looking up from his paperwork, one Dr said, " Son your 1-Y and can never join or be drafted into the armed forces". I remember vividly losing my composure and jumping in the air and shouting.
The sad thing was, I was the only one out of 100 that didn't get drafted. I remember 7 of the kids couldn't even read and write their own name. I e often wondered how many returned and how many returned with lifelong mental and physical issues. Eventually my 1-Y was reclassified to 4-F.
My cousin died from exposure to agent orange and another friend has rapidly advancing Parkinson's that's believed to be due to agent orange. No one talks about this but what happened to the people of Vietnam? Are there birth defects, cancer, parkinsons, what is the impact on them?
kiemchacsu
Well-known
oh really, i am shocked. that agent orange topic must have been banned in the US i guess.
i would say that until now, the affect of agent orange is still available in vietnam.
link is a photo essay Damir Sagolj with clear captions for your reference, just as a small sample.
https://damir.photoshelter.com/gallery/Agent-Orange/G0000A1f95wSOggU/
fireblade
Vincenzo.
For those who can't get it for whatever reason, you can download it off torrent sites.
oftheherd
Veteran
SF were known to have some of the best training in the US Army, and rank came fast. It seems in the late 50s, the payment for that came due. When I got to the 82nd Abn Div in late 1960, the 82nd had former NCO from SF who had requested assignment out of SF. It, like all airborne, was only volunteer. From what I heard, assignment to Vietnam at that time was not good for survival. I had a squad leader while on Okinawa who volunteered for SF. He went to Vietnam. I saw him some months later, rather bitter about his time there. He told me he was 40% disabled.
From what I heard we were in Vietnam in the 50s under Eisenhower.